


Fairy Tales

by SSAlias



Category: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asexual Jughead Jones, Bisexual Archie Andrews, Coming Out, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, bro dates, but he makes sex jokes so dont freak, but in the riverdale universe, like the comics, no real plot, singing because thats what archie is all aboUT MAN
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-05-19 03:59:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14866182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SSAlias/pseuds/SSAlias
Summary: A slice of life story about the boys coming to terms with liking each other through sleepovers and dog walking.





	1. Red

Saying the color red was his earliest memory would be a blatant lie. The falsity could also imply some sort of childhood trauma involving blood or anger, neither of which are true. Red isn’t his earliest memory, but he’d definitely consider it one of the most important and consistent.

He’s never given much thought to what his favorite color was until that endearingly clumsy ginger had crashed into his life all wide smiles and warm eyes. He positively does not believe in love at first sight, fairy tales aren’t real after all, but right then he knew that red was his favorite color. Not blood, or brick, or berry. A red with a copper twing that flows easily however it pleases. A red that looks like it’d smell of hard, rusted metal, but feels the exact opposite.

“Hey, Jug, are you even listening?”

Oh, right. He’s suppose to be having a conversation with the owner of previously mentioned hair. Maybe he’d be more interested in it if it didn’t pertain to “relationship problems.” He could actually contribute if the conversation was about something he had experience, or even interest in. Alas, he doubts that’ll happen today. Picking another fry off of the other’s plate, he responded. “Of course I am,” he popped the fry in his mouth and made sure to show off the mashed potato as he chewed as a way to try and show his indifference to the topic at hand. “You’ve been trying to score some dates with some girls and nothing’s working out. You’re trying to figure out why, or at least explain it to me.”

The suspicion in Archie’s eyes faded and he continued his rant. Every now and then he’d tilt his head just _so_ to catch the setting sunlight in the flames atop his head. Dark, deep, brown eyes turning amber and warm highlights caressing his face. A few years back his jaw wouldn’t have been anywhere near as sharp and his tan skin would be nonexistent. Now, practically all his freckles have faded, causing him to look much older than he really is.

“Okay now I _know_ you aren’t listening,” he accused with one of his signature wide grins. “I offered to buy you more food and you didn’t respond.” Jughead looked down at Archie’s empty plate. ‘ _Well_ ,’ he though, ‘ _that’s a first_.’

“What’s going on?” Looking back at the intruder of his thoughts, he could clearly see a level of concern rising in Archie’s irises.

“Nothing,” Jughead deflected. “Just thinking.”

“You’re always thinking! Stop dodging and tell me what’s on your mind. I’m a good listener, unlike someone.” He playfully jabbed, leaning forward and propping his chin up on his folded hands. Copying his pose, Jughead dared to stare into Archie’s puppy-dog eyes.

“I’m thinking about colors,” he simply said. Another grin, crooked this time, was placed with a head tilt.

“Jughead Jones? Resident emo punk, thinking about colors?” Archie asked with mock concern. He placed his hand against the other’s forehead, as if checking his temperature, then tugged his beanie down over the top half of his face.

“Arch,” Jughead warned, “You know not to do that.”

“Or what?” He challenged.

“Or I’ll eat you.”

A surprised bark of laughter made its way out Archie’s mouth. Eyes gleaming with amusement, he stared at Jughead, who had re-adjusted his crown. “You couldn’t eat me. I’m too big.”

Another wave of concern seeped out of him when Jughead’s face swamped with a soft pink. Then, the realization dawned on him that he’d just made an innuendo. His own cheeks dusted a deep scarlett. “Not like that! That wasn’t what I meant and you know it!”

Quickly gathering his composure, after berading himself for taking a poorly crafted comeback out of context, Jughead’s blue eyes sparkled to life. “Is that a challenge, Andrews?” Came his retort. “I have a pretty big mouth, y’know.”

Skin flushing deeper, Archie buried his face in his hands. A small, pitiful noise came from him, erging Jughead on. “If you wanted a blowjob you cou-”

“ **Jug!** ” The redhead interrupted, making a smirk break out on Jughead’s face, paired with an attempt at an innocent head tilt. He let his gaze freely drag across Archie’s face, soaking in the new shade of red masking his complexion. The thought of how much red his body could display was forcefully shoved to the back of Jughead’s brain. Archie ran a hand down the side of his face and took a deep breath.

“I’m glad you brought that up actually- don’t, close your fat mouth. I just want you to listen for a minute, okay?” Jughead closed his mouth, worry emerging from his features. He nodded. Archie heistated. “I’ve really been putting thought into the whole dating thing, surprising I know. This time I actually sat down and thought it through over and over again though. I don’t want this to be taken as ‘Oh Archie is just so desperate to get a date that he’ll do anything!’ because that isn’t true. I’m actually _serious_ about this..” he trailed off.

“Arch,” Jughead prompted softly.

“Right, right. I’m just not sure how to say this exactly without it coming out wrong or awkward or-”

“Stop stalling. Just say it,”

“I think I like guys. Not just guys, I still like girls. Girls and guys. I’m bi.”

“Okay,” Jughead said in his trademarked monotonous voice, but Archie could see the gears turning behind his eyes. “Okay, thank you for telling me.”

“That’s all?”

“I’m going to change your ringtone to NSYNC, but I don’t know what else you could possibly want from me, Archi-bi.”

Archie seemed to relax at the nickname. “Well a smile would be nice. You’re on the playing field now if you ever decide to partake in romance.” He teased. Jughead grinned. That was close enough for Archie.

* * *

Later that night, Archie layed in bed, replaying his conversation with Jughead. Eyes alight with glee, he rolled over and pulled his pillow to his chest in a tight hug. After the talk, Jughead had offered to walk him home.

_Archie was surprised to see that the sun had set. “Yeah, man. Let’s go.”_

_They walked in comfortable silence, bumping shoulders and brushing hands every so often. Archie appreciated the small gestures of comfort like that from Jughead, especially since the other boy never seemed to even stand within a foot of anyone else. The wind started to pick up and he glanced at Jughead who had instinctively grabbed onto his hat. Archie smiled. He traced the silver outline that glowed around his friend’s edges. He thought it was romantic and quickly turned away._

_“What?” Jughead asked, noticing the sharp movement._

_“Nothing,” he said, then quoted “just thinking.” That made Jughead snort and drop the questioning along with the hand on his beanie. Archie sparred another glance to him, careful to not turn his head too much. He took in the moon’s glow reflecting in wavy bangs, turning them from black to blue. The same light made his eyes shine a bluish-silver._ He had called it _“a soft blue, like blanket powder.”_

Jolted out of his thoughts, Archie got out of bed and rummaged through his desk drawer for some paper and a pen. He slid into the chair and let the sound of aggressive scribbling and erasing fill the air. Occasionally, he’d hum out a quiet tune or tap a rhythmic beat with the pen. As the night went on, the moon dragged itself across the sky at an attempt to peak into the window. Archie looked past the window and the moon into space and reached for the right words. Words that would hold a voice and feeling. He took in how clear the night was. He took in how bright and round the full moon shone. He took in every single twinkling star and molded all of space into one song. A few hours past and he decided to finally let his aching wrist rest. With a yawn, he tiredly forced himself onto his bed and allowed his mind to soothe itself to sleep with the thought of implanting the universe into Jughead’s eyes.

The next thing he knew, the cold, blue feeling of the night was replaced with the warm, yellow feeling of the early morning. Groaning, Archie sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He stood and glanced at the paper on his desk. He’d have to decide what it meant and what to do about it eventually, but now wasn’t the time for that. Now, was breakfast time. He tugged on a loose gray t-shirt and opened his bedroom door. A giant ball of golden fuzz, commonly known as Vegas, jumped on him. “Morning, boy!” Archie said with a bright smile while scratching behind the dog’s ear. Vegas let out a happy bark and raced down the stairs with his tail violently wagging behind him. Archie followed and Vegas walked him to the kitchen.

“Hey, dad.” he greeted and sat down in front of his stack of pancakes and side of bacon. “This looks great. Thanks.”

“No problem, kiddo. I was starting to worry you were going to call in sick with how late you slept in.” Fred said, taking a sip of coffee from his “World’s Best Dad” mug Archie had painted in third grade.

“It’s only ten minutes later than usual,”

“Still unusual,”

Archie rolled his eyes with a grin. “I was out with Jug yesterday and we lost track of time, as _usual_.” He played, then shoved a fork full of pancake into his mouth.

“I bet he would’ve loved some of this breakfast. If it was so late, why didn’t you just invite him to stay over. That’s a little _unusual_ of you. You know I wouldn’t have mind.” Fred fired back.

“Huh,” Archie spoke around a mouthful of pancake. “as _usual,_ I didn’t think of that.”

“Well,” the eldest of the two hesitated. “I got nothing. You win, this time.” he smiled around the brim of the mug. Archie quickly scarfed down the rest of his pancakes and slid half the bacon to Vegas, who enjoyed it profusely. “Young mind,” he said and tapped his head.

“Young mind,” his dad repeated. Archie chewed on his half of bacon while he picked up his dirty dishes and placed them in the sink.

“Thanks for breakfast, dad.”

“Anytime, son.” Archie turned and started heading towards the staircase.

“Oh! Hey, can I invite Jug over tonight instead?”

Fred gave Archie a knowing look, although the redhead didn’t know what for. “Of course, just remember to do your chores.”

“Sweet! Thanks, dad! Love you!” The teen called as he raced up the stairs. Back in his room, Archie swapped his sweatpants out for a pair of jeans and tugged on his letterman. He finished getting ready, called bye to his dad, and headed out the door. He was surprised to see Jughead at the end of his driveway, however, he was even more surprised to see him talking to Betty. They were talking vigorously about something, both of them making erratic hand gestures. There wasn’t anything wrong with that, they’re friends too, but Archie still felt a spark of jealousy at the sight. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered who it was towards. The two glanced at him and quieted down. He walked to the pair with smile and said a quick hello.

“Hey, Arch.” Jughead responded.

“Good morning, Archie.” Betty said afterwards.

They each took one of Archie’s sides to stand by, and the trio walked to school. Once there, Betty split from the group to find Veronica. When she was out of sight, Archie turned to completely face Jughead and corned him against the wall. “What were you two talking about earlier?” he questioned nervously. Jughead rolled his eyes at Archie’s very poor try at being intimidating, despite his heart-rate skyrocketing at their abnormal and, if he’s being honest, intimate positions.

“Scared we were gossiping about you?” He smirked. Jughead watched as Archie bit his lip and then pouted. The boy’s shoulders slumped and Jughead had half the nerve to compare him to one or both of their dogs.

“Maybe a little,” Archie admitted, causing Jughead to give a genuine smile.

“Don’t worry, buddy. The very last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt you.” Archie perked up at his words and stepped back. He nodded down the hallway and both boys walked to Archie’s locker. The letterman clad teen struggled to take all his books out his bag, so Jughead offered to hold them so he could get himself situated. Archie shot out a quick thanks while removing books and binders from his bag and stacking them in Jughead’s awaiting arms. Once the bag was cleared out, Archie rushed to unlock his locker and place the majority of everything into it, excluding a few things for his first few classes. Archie beamed at him once the locker was shut and Jughead felt his heart flutter.

“Thank you, Juggie.” He said and tugged on Jughead’s hat like the day before. He didn’t miss the shallow reddening of Jughead’s face as he fixed his beanie and hair. They bumped shoulders, then made their ways to their separate classes.

By the time lunch rolled around, Archie was exhausted. The only thing still keeping him going was the fact that it was Friday and the unspoken promise of seeing his best friend. He sat down at his table, and not even a minute later, Veronica sat down across from him. “You look terrible, Archiekins.” She said with a smile, white teeth glistening.

“Hello to you too, Ronnie.” He lazily replied. She asked what was wrong and he told her that the day had just been too slow. He laid his cheek in his hand and let his eyes slowly roam the lunchroom. They landed right on the door as Jughead walked through the entrance threshold. Archie sat up straight and watched the other boy. Veronica followed his line of sight and smirked slightly.

“Oh,” she said simply. His eyes snapped to her and widened in panic. He glanced back at Jughead, who was getting closer, then to Veronica again. She could see the tension over take his body as he sat ridged. She opened her mouth to tell him not to worry about it, but was cut off by Jughead.

“You alright, Archie?” He asked as he sat next to the boy. Narrow eyes zoned in on Veronica in suspicion, accusation, and conviction. She held her hands up in defense and shrugged. Archie relaxed slightly. Jughead dropped his glare and draped an arm around Archie’s shoulders. “Hey, Red. C’mon, what’s up?”

More tension leaked from Archie. “Just really tired. I stayed up late working on a song. Will you stay over tonight?” He hurriedly rushed out.

Jughead quirked a brow, as did Veronica. “Sure,” Jughead said. Just as the word left his mouth, Betty took a seat next to Veronica. It was the most relieved Archie had felt in his life, probably. Maybe not, but he was still super relieved. Betty easily started a conversation with everyone. Archie eventually spaced out, getting lost in his thoughts, only to be brought back to reality by Jughead, who had leaned closer.

“I’ve known you for all my life. I know when you’re hiding something, I’m the one that taught you deception. Don’t tell me you forgot all the times I got you to lie to your dad about sneaking me candy past midnight.” That brought a quiet laugh out of Archie, which in turn brought out a grin from Jughead.

“No, I didn’t forget. I just want to understand my own thoughts before trying to explain them to you.” He looked at Jughead with a small smile and searched his eyes for either sympathy or annoyance. When their eyes met, he found neither. Instead he found a mild warmth and a reflected small smile. Silent knowing passed between the two. Jughead turned to his tray and continued eating his lunch (and maybe some of Archie’s too). Archie watched him for a moment, then laid his head on the taller boy’s shoulder. He closed his eyes and started thinking.

* * *

Archie closed his locker after his last period class to find Jughead standing on the other side. “Ready to go?” He asked and Archie nodded while zipping his backpack and tossing it over his shoulder. Like many times before, the two walked in silence. Archie really appreciated that they were able to do that. He had less of a chance to say something regretful. Once home, both boys greeted Fred and Vegas, then walked up to Archie’s bedroom.

“Do we have to leave the door open now that you’re bi?” Jughead joked as he kicked off his shoes by the door. Archie grinned and shook his head.

“Dad doesn’t know yet. I kinda forgot to tell him.” He answered while setting his bag down and shrugging off his jacket. Jughead did the same and placed his belongs next to his shoes. Like a little pile of Jughead in Archie’s room.

“So, I’m the only one that knows?”

“Of course not. I tell Vegas everything first. Check your privilege, man.” Jughead chuckled at that and sat on the bed.

“So what’s the plan? Eat, game, rant, eat more, and sleep? Or are we going to stay up all night gossiping about girls _and_ boys while twirling our hair?”

“Both obviously. Try asking some smart questions.”

“Okay, Yanny or Laurel?” Jughead played a smirk across his lips. Archie felt an all too familiar pull, typically reserved for Betty or Veronica, in him. It stunned him slightly. Recollecting his thoughts and processing what Jughead said, a greatly unimpressed look covered his face. Internal annoyance that he just felt attraction to an _actual idiot_ replaced the pull.

“I take it back. Go home. You’re getting sent to the dugout.”

“Awh, but coach, let me hit again. I promise I’ll get a homerun and make it to _all_ the bases-”

“Nope. Nope. No. Stop. Don’t drag out the metaphor, you weirdo. I don’t want to roleplay with you. Ew.” Archie covered his ears and shook his head. He still heard Jughead’s loud laugh though. It made him smile. He took a seat on the bed and elbowed Jughead. “Shut up, I gotta ask you a favor.”

Jughead dramatically wiped his eyes of faux tears. “Yes?”

“I wrote a thing that I want you to read eventually,”

“Specific,”

“It’s a song. I want your opinion since you’re the best writer I know and also my bestest friend in the whole wide world.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll read your song.” Jughead agreed while trying to not smile at Archie’s words. “I’ll go get some snacks. You set up the game?” He asked, standing up.

“Dragoncide X?” Archie reached for the remote and two controllers.

“You know me so well,” was Jughead’s answer as he walked out the bedroom and down to the kitchen. Archie stared at the door for a second and smiled to himself. Then, he stood and hooked up his console to his television. Sitting back down on the foot of his bed, he connected both controllers and booted up the game. A few minutes after he was done, Jughead reentered with two bags of chips, a box of snack cakes, and a few Capri-Suns. He sat all the food down next to the beanbag on the floor that he’d claimed his own years ago, and traded one of the juice pouches for a controller.

Archie never understood how the boy was able to stay concentrated on the videogame and keep a constant stream of food going to his stomach. If Archie got hungry, he’d either have to pause the game or ask Jughead to pop a few chips in his mouth, otherwise his character would die almost instantly. Jughead’s ability to multitask when it came to food was just one of the many mundane things Archie admired about the boy. He’d never tell anyone that though.

Hours passed with only a few small interruptions of Fred coming into the room to check on the boys and remind Archie that he had to do the dishes in the morning. Jughead contemplated stopping the game to go find more junk food since he ran out after the first hour, but he was having too much fun working through different fictional quests and bantering back and forth with Archie.

“I have to pee,” Well, Jughead didn’t have to decide to stop the game after all.

“Thanks for sharing,” he joked.

“I gotta pee and it’s dark,” Archie complained. Jughead asked Archie how old he was and Archie just whined louder. “Pleeease, Juggie?”

Jughead gave a defeated sigh and stood up. He picked up all the trash that had piled up next to the beanbag and lead Archie to the bathroom. He grinned and compared the ginger to a duckling in his head. Archie scrambled into the bathroom after Jughead flicked on the light with his elbow. The beanie-clad boy continued down the hall to the stairs and into the kitchen. He dropped the trash off into the trash can and rummaged through the pantry for more food. Finding no more sugary pastries or salted potato chips, he turned to the fridge and checked there. “Grapes it is,” he mumbled and snatched up the bag. He periodically popped a grape into his mouth as he walked back upstairs. He looked into the bathroom to see Archie waiting for him. He grinned slyly before flicking the light off.

“Jughead!” Archie squealed, causing Jughead to laugh and shush him. The shorter teen latched onto his arm and together they walked towards the dim light emitting from Archie’s bedroom. Once there, Archie saved their game and swapped out the HDMI  to his DVD player. He picked one of Jughead’s random slasher films he keeps at the Andrews house and put it in the player. When he turned around, Jughead was stacking a few pillows on top of each other so he could stay propped up and eat. He finished and laid against the pillows, raising an eyebrow at Archie. Jughead patted the spot next to him, on the side the grapes weren’t on, and Archie climbed into bed. Unlike Jughead, he made due with only one pillow, and folded his arms behind his head. He watched Jughead occasionally eat with his eyes super glued to the T.V. Archie smiled fondly and, for the second night in a row, drifted off to sleep with the image of his best friend resting behind his eyelids.


	2. Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who left comments and kudos on the last chapter, it really helped with the motivation on getting this done! There's a slight tw on this chapter for an anxiety attack. It's not too bad though, just one of the boys getting lost in his worries.

The next morning, Jughead woke up to the sweet smell of french toast. He quietly sat up and yawned. Curled up next to where he was just laying was Archie. He watched the redhead’s face as he raised his arms above his head and stretched. Archie’s face contorted in disgust when Jughead’s back made a loud pop. Jughead huffed a laugh to himself as Archie rolled over. The ravenette stood and grabbed his beanie off the desk next to the bed.

He tugged the hat onto his head and picked up the empty grape bag, tossing it into the small trash bin in the corner of the room. He glanced at his sleeping friend and smiled. Jughead walked over to the door and opened it slowly. Vegas sat on the other side and Jughead smiled more. He quickly left the room and silently shut the door. Kneeling down, he greeted the dog.

“Hey, cutie,” Vegas wagged his tail and jumped onto the boy. Jughead chuckled as Vegas licked across his cheek. “I missed you too, buddy.” He ruffled the dogs fur and stood back up. The two trotted downstairs to the kitchen where Fred waited.

“Morning, Jug. Sleep okay?” He asked from his place in front of the stove.

“Amazing, Mister A. Just like how that food smells.”

Fred laughed. “Well you’re just in time. Could you fix some food for Vegas first though? It’s in the pantry.” Jughead saluted, amusing the man further, and went to fix Vegas’s breakfast. The dog barked at him eagerly and turned in a circle next to his bowl. “Archie still sleeping?” Fred asked. Jughead nodded and poured some food for Vegas.

“We stayed up late, but he fell asleep before we could get even twenty minutes into  _ Scream _ .”

“The one with the kid who looks like your dad?”

Jughead gave another nod and took a seat at the kitchen table. “I’m starting to think maybe it was my dad and he just doesn’t want to admit it.”

Fred beamed a wide grin and set a plate in front of the boy. “Maybe,” he lead. The teen let out a surprised bust of laughter. 

“That’s a hilarious  _ thought _ ,” he chuckled around a mouthful of french toast, “but I doubt dad ever had interest in any sort of theatrical arts.”

Fred rose his brow and leaned over the table slightly. “When we were in high school, the drama department wanted to put on  _ Grease _ .” Jughead’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Don’t tell me he-”

“No, he wasn’t in the performance, but he did go to all three showings. After that he hinted at wanting to act.”

“Really?” 

Fred grinned. “No, but he did attend a showing with me and the girls.”

Jughead gave Fred a pointed look. Then, he realized the man wasn’t even looking at him anymore. Instead, he was staring out the window with a fond look on his face. 

“Do you ever miss him?” he cautiously asked.

“All the time,” the brunet sighed and turned back to Jughead. “How’s he been?”

Blue eyes casted downwards. “Alright, he’s trying.” Jughead swirled a toast stick in his puddle of maple syrup. “Pop’s pays good.” He jumped when Fred set a hand on his shoulder. Jughead looked up and saw that he was smiling.  
“Tell him if he ever needs anything to just ask. Same goes for you.” 

The teen’s throat closed up slightly and he tried to mimic Fred’s smile. He managed a quiet ‘Thank you,’ and Fred squeezed his shoulder a little. The elder turned back to the stove and fixed another plate. When he turned back around to set the plate on the table, he looked as if the conversation he’d just had never happened.

“Good morning, son.” He called cheerfully. Jughead quickly turned around, nearly giving himself whiplash, and saw Archie standing at the bottom of the staircase. His hair looked like a wildfire with how it stuck up at every angle and he had a dopey grin plastered on his face. He looked beautiful.

“Hey, Arch.” 

Archie smiled at the two and made his way to his seat at the table. He let out a loud yawn and beamed at them. Jughead realized that both the Andrews men had the same smile. The redhead said his good mornings and started shoveling food into his mouth. Jughead, who had already finished his food, watched. His breath caught in his throat when Archie looked up and smiled at him. 

“Something on my face?” 

“I think I’ve worn off on you,”

“What do you mean?”

“You eat like a starving pig now,”

Archie laughed loudly and quickly covered his mouth before he could accidentally spit food across the table at his dad. Fred looked at him with a mix of sterness and amusement. Archie hurriedly swallowed his food. “They told me to eat like this on the football team,”

“I’m disappointed. How  _ dare _ you let someone tell you how to eat your food? I thought I taught you better than that!” Jughead declared in mock hurt.

“You’re so dramatic,” Archie laughed again, causing Jughead to gasp loudly. 

The three continued their casual banter as they finished their breakfast. Once it came time for Fred to head to work, he informed the boys that he’d appreciate it if the dishes were washed when he got home. Archie assured him that the house would be spotless.

“It’d be a miracle if it was,” he teased and kissed the boy on the head. “I’ll see you later.” He walked to the door and put on his shoes. Before he left he called, “I love you, son! You too, Jug!” The boys smiled brightly at each other and called back their own goodbyes.

When the front door closed, Archie spoke up. “So, I was thinking we could take Vegas out for a walk.” The golden retriever perked up at his name being said and barked excitedly. 

“You want me to go outside?”

“For Vegas,”

“You drive a hard bargain, Andrews. I’ll do it. For Vegas.” 

Archie nodded and flashed a grin before carefully gathering all the dishes off the table and moving them into the sink. Vegas jumped up and laid his head in Jughead’s lap, so of course the boy used that as an excuse to not help out his friend with chores. “Jug, you gonna help?”

“Can’t. Dog.”

Archie, puzzled, glanced behind him and saw his dog trying to steal his friend. “I know my dog is amazing, but we have to teach him good teamwork.”

“Oh, alright.” Jughead gently pushed Vegas’s head off and quickly petted him. He then stood and walked over to stand next to Archie and dry dishes. The redhead told him thanks and the two go to work.

Jughead watched Archie’s hands as he scrubbed away at the stains on the dishware. He decided that Archie had nice hands that were probably still very warm when held. He “accidentally” brushed their hands together the next time Archie handed off a plate. He saw the corner of the shorter boy’s mouth quirk up. He continued doing it until Archie’s attention was quickly snatched away by Vegas plopping down heavily against his feet. 

“I guess that’s good for now,” Archie chuckled. “Do you have any clothes?” 

“Nope,”

“Alright, you can borrow some of mine. They might be slightly loose though.”

“That’s fine, just don’t give me anything obnoxiously colorful.”

\ “No promises!” Archie called as he ran up the stairs. Jughead followed at a much slower pace and upon entering Archie’s bedroom, saw him scurrying about trying to find appropriate clothes. “Oh, hey, look!” He called while holding up one of Jughead’s old, fire truck red t-shirts from back when he wore color. 

“Must’ve left it here a long time ago. At least a year.”

“You should wear it for old times sake,” Archie held out the shirt along with a pair of blue jeans. Jughead rolled his eyes and took the clothes to the bathroom. He didn’t miss Archie’s wide smile as he grabbed the shirt. 

He shut the door behind him as he walked into the bathroom. He put the clothes down on the sink counter and took off his hat. While looking in the mirror, he ran his hand through his hair. It was getting long. He pulled off his shirt and pants and replaced them with the other outfit. Even though he knew he was changing into an outfit made of red and blue, he was still shocked when he looked in the mirror. He quickly pulled his hat on and left the bathroom. His pants were slightly loose and his shirt was tight. Everything about it seemed weird and Jughead wasn’t sure if it was bad or good.

It was almost like wearing his old t-shirt collided with wearing a pair of Archie’s newer jeans. As if the past was colliding with the present. Jughead was drove head-first into a wall of nostalgia. He use to borrow clothes all the time, but these pants hung differently. He had been metaphorically thrown back in time, however, there was one small thing that was off about the situation. 

Head clouded with thoughts and analyses, he barged into Archie’s room unannounced. The redhead was in the middle of pulling his own shirt on over his head. Jughead froze in the doorway. 

Jughead wasn’t entirely repulsed with seeing people half naked, or fully naked, he thought the human figure was interesting. Archie, specifically was a body that he enjoyed watching develop. It was interesting to see him grow from dweeb to hunk. Or at least that’s what he hear Betty tell Veronica a few months ago.

Archie’s maturing body didn’t affect him, except at times like this when he was on edge and being dramatically analytical. It was just one more thing that had changed in the past couple of years. He was still Archie, just different. The fact felt like putting on a jacket over a long-sleeved shirt, but the sleeve was all twisted up. He didn’t care what Archie looked like, but everyone else did. Which meant that they’d get pulled apart again by social roles and standards. Which would mean Jughead would be alone again. His experience with change was shit.

“Are you checking me out?” Archie laughed once he got his shirt on. His face fell when he looked at Jughead. “Jug?” Archie walked closer and set his hand on the other boy’s cheek. As soon as he made contact, Jughead’s eyes widened and he jerked back. 

The two stared at each other in silence. 

“Jughead,” Archie said softly. Blue eyes zoned in on him, but they looked hazy and the lines in his forehead were showing. He cautiously walked closer. “Hey, Juggie. What’re you thinking about?” 

Jughead blinked and looked away. Then, he looked back at Archie. “Everything is always changing. I don’t know if I can keep up.” He admitted quietly and then added, “I need some air.” 

Archie nodded, understanding shining in his eyes that made Jughead worry slightly. Sometimes he forgot that Archie’s been through his own struggles. The ginger carefully held his hand. “Let’s take Vegas for a walk,” he said. Jughead nodded and tried a small smile. 

The pair walked downstairs and Archie called for Vegas. The golden retriever came trotting over to them, leash in his mouth. The sight made Jughead calm a little.  _ Vegas is still Vegas. _ He thought.  _ He’s bigger, but still him. Different, but still the same.  _ He pondered if maybe gold could be his second favorite color. Archie kneeled down and hooked the leash onto Vegas’s collar. He stood back up and held the end out to Jughead. 

“I get to walk him?” Archie nodded and placed the leash in Jughead’s hand. Jughead smiled. “Thank you.” A look of knowing was shared between the two. 

“That’s what I’m here for,” Archie said and held the door open for the other two. Vegas ran out the door and Jughead stumbled before matching his pace. Vegas slowed as if realizing that Jughead wouldn’t be able to keep up. Archie smiled and locked up the house before catching up. “So, Juggie,” he started, “are we gonna talk about  _ that _ ?”

Jughead glanced at Archie wearily. “Give me a minute,” 

Archie, always understanding and empathetic, nodded. “Of course, take your time.”

The three walked in silence while Jughead thought over what he wanted to say. He got overwhelmed, that’s all he had to say, but he didn’t want to avoid telling the whole truth to Archie. On the other hand, he didn’t want to guilt trip him neither. “I was having a good morning. We both were. So remember that, okay?” Archie seemed conflicted, but nodded anyways. “I’m worried about the future. Really worried, Arch.”

“What about it?”

Jughead looked away. “I don’t know. Change is everywhere and I don’t know what to make of it. All I did was go change and then see you and it hit me. I want nothing more than to hang out every day like this, but I know it won’t be like that. Not forever. I don’t know why I started thinking about this, I just..” He sighed. “We’ll stay friends forever, right? We won’t drift apart again?”

Archie stopped walking and grabbed Jughead’s shoulder. “Look at me,” his voice sounded watery and when Jughead looked at him, he saw that his eyes were the same. God, and he called Jughead dramatic. “We’re going to be best friends until the end of time, Juggie.” He held up his hand with his pinky out. “I promise.” 

Jughead laughed, Archie thought it sounded strained, nevertheless, Jughead linked their pinkies. “I’ll hold you to that, Red.” 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he responded with more sincerity than Jughead had ever heard. Both teens smiled and unlinked their fingers. 

“You haven’t done that since we were nine,” Jughead pointed out. 

“You kept talking about being scared of change, so I thought I’d bring something back.” 

“Thank you,” 

“Jughead, seriously, that’s what I’m here for.” Archie linked their arms and the two continued their walk with Vegas. Archie’s console was comforting, although there was still a small part of Jughead that worried his best friend would move on and he wouldn’t be able to let him go. Archie nudged him. He decided to let it be for now. 

As the group passed the local elementary school, Vegas made a beeline for the playground. Archie and Jughead shared a look before following the dog. “Are we allowed to be here?” Archie asked.

“It’s Saturday. So, probably?” Jughead confirmed and unhooked Vegas’s leash. “You’re cleaning up after him if he poops.” 

“Why me?”

“This was your idea, Archie.” Jughead grinned and walked over to the swings. Archie followed and sat in the swing next to Jughead. He dragged his feet through the dirt under the swing. A small cloud of it rose from where his feet scuffed across the ground and a light dust coated his shoes. 

“You look nice, in that outfit.” Archie suddenly said, still dragging his feet. 

Jughead whipped his head towards his friend, flustered. “Uh, thanks. You too.”

Archie grinned, knowing that the complement threw Jughead off. “I’m just wearing a yellow tee. It’s not even form fitting like yours.”

Jughead’s face reddened at being called out. “Yellow is nice,” he managed to come up with.

“Take the compliment, Juggie. Red is a good color on you.”

“Are you making another innuendo?” 

Archie laughed and shook his head. “Take it however, Jug. It’d still be true.”  
Jughead smiled and the pair continued swinging in silence, occasionally letting out a chuckle when Vegas did something funny. When Vegas had somehow made it up the slide without slipping back down, Jughead asked “How do you do that?” Earning a questioning look from Archie. 

“How do I do what?”

“Talk me through things, distract me. No one else can. Not even my dad.”

Archie beamed and waited for Jughead to look at him before answering. “I know you better than anyone else.”

A pause. “I was-”

“Expecting a flowery, drawn out response? That’s more your style, dude.”

“That’s creepy as hell,”

Archie lightly punched his shoulder. “Only the creepiest for my liege,”

“Oh so  _ now _ you want to role play? Well too bad, I’m over it.”

Laughter bubbled up from Jughead, contagiously making Archie laugh too.  _ I guess laughter is the best medicine.  _ Jughead thought, feeling better already.  _ Or maybe it’s just Archie.  _


	3. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Singing and going on dates!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't abandoned this! And I don't plan on doing that. Sorry it took so long, Riverdale really sucked at giving some good ol' jarchie content up until recently, so I didn't feel too motivated, but I'm back now, baby!

Jughead didn’t hate the outside, he enjoyed it actually. One of his smaller hobbies that he’s always wanted to develop was photography. The outdoors really was a beautiful place. Jughead didn’t hate it, no, he just despised the sun and the way it seemed to constantly mock him. He glared.

“You alright, Jug?” Archie asked, walking beside him. They had stayed at the park for a few hours, watching Vegas and goofing off. At on point Archie ended up on the monkey-bars tangled in Vegas’s leash.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Why?”

“You’re glaring,”

“I’m mocking the sun,”

Archie grinned. “You could always take off the hat,”

“Never,” Jughead sternly said and narrowed his eyes.

The redhead shrugged. “Then suffer,”

Jughead snorted and covered his mouth as a laugh shook his shoulders. He spared a glance at Archie only to find him grinning wildly. Vegas looked back at them and barked, no doubt telling them to hurry up. Archie stumbled as the dog tugged on the leash, eager to get home, causing Jughead to laugh more.

 _He probably wants water._ Jughead thought, ignoring the friendly glare Archie shot at him. He sped up slightly to stay in step with the other two, trying to fight the smile on his face.

He could go for some water as well. He was probably going to die if he didn’t get some water. He’d already be dead if he was wearing his normal monochromatic grays and blacks. He looked at his blue jeans.

“Archie, I’m going to die.”

“What?!” Archie looked at him with wide eyes full of fear and worry.

“It’s hot,”

Archie gave him another glare and walked faster. Jughead could hear his mutter of “You’re going to die because _I’m_ going to kill you,”

Jughead chuckled to himself and bumped shoulders with Archie.

“Aw, you know I'd never die on you, buddy.”

Archie looked at him wearily. “That sounds like foreshadowing. Like you said you won't, but it's like a hint that you will.”

“Ah, you've caught on.”

“Shut the hell up, Jughead.”

Jughead's shit-eating grin only grew and they bumped shoulders again. This time the contact was followed by quietness. Despite his teasing, Jughead really did mean what he said. He's always though it's easy and stupid to die for someone, but it means more to live for someone and if he were to live for anyone, it'd be Archie. So, he wouldn't be dying anytime soon. He hoped.

Dying really would be an inconvenience, even though his external attitude may make others believe he thought differently. He wants to live. He wants to graduate, and move to New York with Archie like they planned in middle school. His feeling from earlier, the panic, started to fizz up again. He decided to think about something else.

He squinted up at the sky. It was clear blue. It wasn't anything special. It bored him. He looked at Archie. The sky looked better against his hair.

“When we get back,” Archie started, “I wanna sing for you.”

“The song you told me about?”

The redhead nodded.

“Alright,”

Jughead was a little worried. Most of Archie’s songs were, for lack of a better word, depressing. He didn’t dislike that there was some level of feeling behind Archie’s music, he just hated the fact that it had to be so sad. It bothered him, not knowing why Archie’s songs sounded like he was suffering. Then again, Archie had always been a complicated person.

Even when they were younger, the redhead always had this look in his eyes. The boy was so eager to please and do good that he often forgot about himself. _Or maybe_...Jughead hesitated to complete his thought.

_Maybe Archie didn’t care?_

The idea made him shiver, earning a look from the slightly shorter teen. There was no way that was true. Everyone loved Archie! He shook his head to clear the thoughts from it. He had worried enough today already. There was no use in getting worked up again, and about something so outlandish nonetheless!

If something was wrong, Archie would surely tell him about it. Archie told him everything. Their trust was completely mutual.

By the time they arrived home, Jughead’s tongue felt like cotton in his mouth. He rushed past Archie, into the kitchen where he grabbed a water bottle and chugged half of it in one go. He pulled the bottle away from his lips with a gasp, knocking his beanie off while running his hand through his hair, desperate to get the offending strands away from his face.

He noticed Archie staring at him, only because of Vegas’s impatient bark to be detached from his leash. Archie’s face flooded and he hurriedly knelt down to deal with the golden retriever. Jughead awkwardly picked his hat up and placed it back atop his head.

“I’m gonna go ahead and head upstairs,” he stated and Archie gave a curt nod in acknowledgment.

Archie watched the other boy leave before letting out a small sigh. He struggled for a moment, trying to unhook Vegas’s collar from the leash. His hand shook and his palms were covered in sweat. There was no way he’d be able to play guitar like this. He inhaled deeply before finally getting the leash off, watching Vegas bounce over to his water bowl.

The football player stood and wiped his hands on his pants. Even though he his song just two nights ago, he already had it memorized. He spent his entire music period practicing it the day before. Steeling his nerves, he made the journey upstairs to Jughead.

The dark haired boy was seated on Archie’s bed, scrolling through his phone idly. He looked up when Archie entered and gave a small, encouraging smile. Archie returned the expression and hoped that his anxiety didn’t show.

He took a seat at his desk and strapped his guitar on.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Whenever you are,” Jughead responded, voice soft.

Archie nodded and began strumming. After a moment, his voiced followed along.

_Years ago,_

_I wouldn’t know._

_I had to wake up_

_To see what’s in front of me._

Jughead’s blood felt like static. He made eye contact with the singer, before Archie’s eyes closed.

_Eyes shut closed_

_To a world of the unknown._

_Finally a place to call home._

_The vision fills my sight,_

_An angel in the sky of night._

The redhead’s voice grew slightly louder.

_Power blue,_

_How are you_

_The only thing I think about?_

_A silver lining._

_Why can’t I stop crying?_

_Powder blue,_

_In the star lit sky._

_So much to say before I die.._

Archie opened his eyes again, to see the surprised look on Jughead’s face. The taller teen quickly smiled and nodded, urging him to continue.

_Always there._

_It isn’t fair._

_Everything I feel,_

_It clouds my brain,_

_A bright haze._

_Floating through the air,_

_Feels like I’m there._

_In the air with you,_

_My dear powder blue._

Archie’s face was flushed with confidence as his voiced exposed just how passionate he was about this particular song.

_Powder blue,_

_How are you?_

_The only thing I think about,_

_A silver lining._

_I’m no longer crying._

_Powder blue,_

_In the star lit sky,_

_So much to say before I fly._

Archie’s voice faded out along with the guitar. He smiled brightly.

“So, what did you think?”

Jughead took a second to collect his thoughts. Then, with a grin, he said, “It got happier towards the end. I really like that. And I love the imagery and figurative language you used. It’s a little different from your usual prose, but a good different. I guess some changes are for the better, huh?”

Archie’s smile seemed to grow even brighter. “Yeah, change can be nice.”

The pair stared at each other. Both had the same thought floating around their heads. _What should change?_ It felt like they were at a stand still, an endless checkmate. Time kept going, but they were stuck moving between the same few spaces on the board. They could stop playing, but then the game would end. They could start a new one after that, but there was no way to tell how that would turn out. It could be over in just a few moves, or it could go on forever, or one of them could give up. The risk scared them.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Archie broke the silence. _Brave as ever_ , Jughead thought, _Archie would figure out what to do and I’ll follow along for the ride._

“You know, I think that one was actually my favorite. I can tell you put a lot of thought into it. That may be why I enjoyed it so much.” He said and Archie let out a flustered laugh. _Jughead was so observant, he knew so much, especially about the me. He’d definitely know what to do._

Archie put his guitar aside.

“What do you wanna do now, Jug?”  
“I’m starving. Let’s go to Pop’s!”

Archie laughed when Jughead jumped up, eagerness apparent. Some things never change, and Jughead’s passion for food would always be one of those things.

“Alright, I’ll pay.”

Archie grabbed his wallet and wrote a quick note to his dad, incase he came back, saying where the two boys were going. Jughead grumbled about the heat as soon as they were back outside, amusing Archie. He really didn’t understand why Jughead insisted on wearing his beanie everywhere. He had nice hair after all!

At Pop’s, they decided to sit at the bar counter rather than at a booth. Jughead insisted that they’d get their food faster because they were closer, however, Archie knew it was just because Pop liked them so much and enjoyed the company. The elder man greeted them with a wide, warm smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite customers? Burgers and shakes?”

“As always Pop! How’ve you been?” Jughead asked cheerily as the teens took their seats.

“Just fine, Jughead. What about you two? Not up to trouble are you?” Pop responded, turning away to get to work.

“No, sir. We just got back from walking Vegas!” Archie answered.

“Do you want a third patty for him?”

“Sure! Thank you, sir!”

Pop chuckled quietly. “No problem, son. How’s your dad?”

“Oh, he’s doing okay. He’s at work right now. If he heads home before we leave, can you make another burger for him too?”

“Of course, Archie. Anything for Freddy.”

Archie thanked the man and the three stayed silent for a bit. A question hanging over them. The freckled teen wasn’t sure if he should say anything. The question didn’t pertain to him anyways. Luckily, Pop spoke up before he could say anything stupid.

“And FP?”

“Same as always,” Jughead said softly.

“I’m sorry,”

“It’s okay,”

“You always have a place with me,”

“Yeah, me too!” Archie added quickly.

Jughead smiled in earnest. “Thank you,”

Tense air passing, Archie and Jughead started a new conversation about school, Jughead offering to help Archie with his essay due next week if Archie could help him with history.

“I have no idea how you memorize all the politics in history, dude. I can hardly remember the kids in our grade half the time. Like, is Reggie still in our grade? Could’ve sworn he failed like five times.”

Archie threw his head back and laughed. “No, Jug! He’s still in our grade. You guys have English together! And memorizing history isn’t that hard. Well, the politics isn’t that much. You just gotta know all the people and their opinions and stuff.”

“Huh. That’s why you’re good at it then. You’re a people person.”

“Yeah, and you’re a talky person. That’s why you’re so good at writing.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Of course!”

Pop placed their plates in front of them. They thanked him, and Archie went ahead and paid for the food before digging in.

He loved days like this. Actually, he loved most days he spent with Jughead, but especially ones where they went out and did stuff. There was nothing wrong with staying in, but Jughead always looked more at ease moving around. Maybe it was because he thought so much? He must get bored with things faster than other people, so a change of scenery rejuvenates him.

Archie glanced at the blue-eyed boy, who was in the middle of finishing off his burger. Man, he ate fast. Good thing Jughead never seemed bothered by Archie taking longer. He was lucky to have such a good friend. Suddenly, a thought hit Archie. He swallowed.

“Is this a date?”

“What?!” Jughead turned to him surprised, and Archie immediately felt embarrassed. He noticed Pop look at him out the corner of his eye.   

“This is like a date, right? I bought you a meal and we talked? Isn’t that how dates go?”

“You’ve been on plenty of dates with Veronica and Betty. You tell me.” Jughead snapped.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you or anything! It really is like a date, I just, I dunno. I talk without thinking sometimes.” Archie rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

Jughead sighed and took a sip of his milkshake. “I guess..” he mumbled.

Archie perked up. “Don’t make a big deal about it!” Jughead added. “We go on plenty of dates all the time.”

The redhead practically glowed with happiness. “Yeah!” he shouted enthusiastically. “It’s like one of our things that never changes! Right?”

“Yeah,” Jughead agreed. “One of our things.”

Archie placed a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t wanna force you into thinking whatever, y’know? Friends can go on dates! Just because I came out to you doesn’t mean you have to look at what we do differently.”

“Arch, you’re the one that called it a date.”

“A bro-date!”

“That sounds like a Reggie term,”

“Maybe it is,”

“I’m breaking up with you. No more bro-dates.” Jughead grinned.

“Awh, Juggie! C’mon! Together forever, right, bro?” Archie smushed his cheek against the taller boy’s shoulder.

“Hmm,”

“Juuuuuuuggie,”

“Maybe,”

“I’ll take it!” Archie cheered, and Jughead couldn’t stop the blatantly fond look he gave the excited teen. Not that he’d want to hide it anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone who gave kudos and commented, and too everyone who just read this fic too! (I might do some editing to the other two chapters just because some of the wording feels off, but the plot will stay the same.)


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